The Epidemic
by Mental Torrent
Summary: One shots based on the characters created by the club The Epidemic. All rights to these characters are RESERVED to their creators. Rated for sexual themes and references to violence, drugs, sex, etc. Based on the ideas of Miss Selah and her work Sanctifie
1. Introduction

* * *

**Introduction**

* * *

Welcome one and all

Before you are nothing more than a few moments in the lives of characters that most would see as bringers of death and disease. They are not just the killers and sadist that many believe though. They are capable of much, from love to hate to pain to joy. It falls upon those with the knowledge and ability to tell of such people, for unless we do they will always be ill perceived. Do not judge them by appearance of function, by their names or the families they have been born into. See them as they must see each other, as individuals with a bond that keeps them together almost as much as it alienates them from others. Introductions are for them to say, and many may wish to remain unknown least they fall victim to the stinging glares and forked tongues of others. For me, this is goodbye, but for them this is life and hello. So welcome.

This is a collection of one-shots based upon the characters created by the Deviantart club The-Epidemic based on the Warner Brothers animated movie Osmosis Jones. This is NOT my idea; this is the brain-child of Miss Selah. I want to thank her for the ideas and for giving our characters a bit of a life off the page they were conceived on.


	2. Tears

* * *

**Tears**

_Players:_  
**Tammy, Mr. Black**

* * *

The body had begun to give out, slowly decaying away from the inside. Unless something was done beyond the walls of flesh there would be no hope for this young soul or any of the millions of cells within it. Some were not worried, they were the ones with the extra knowledge to secure such confidence. Those without the guarantee were panicked and saddened, each looking for their own ways to cope with the coming tide of change and death. Though there would be many who would think otherwise, even a disease feels the loss of a host, especially in rare cases like this one. So many or the world's worst had been gathered together, meeting for the first and perhaps last time. It was nothing short of divine intervention that their influence hadn't killed their unknowing host sooner, but somehow they had managed. Now the bonds they had forged were in danger of being severed, leaving them to once more scatter to the wind and live the lives of lonely reapers once more.

There was no one to notice when a thin virus with a rat's tail slipped between two buildings somewhere in the rib cage. She was far from her territory of choice, closer to those who would hurt her than a certain someone would allow. But she needed the time, needed the quiet dark space with no judgmental eyes. She needed time to let the burning tears finally leak out of her eyes, if nothing more than to relieve the pressure that crushed her heart in a steel vice. She tucked her head to her chest, fingers pressing yellow tips into the top of her head. She hunched over, back to a wall, and let the tears come.

"Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean. Tears from the depth of some divine despair rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes. In looking on the happy Autumn-fields, and thinking of the days that are no more."

The voice was deep and cold, humming across the dark alley to where Tammy had huddled herself just on the edge of a beam of streetlight. She snapped from her state of solitude, ever fiber taught and ready, no longer overwhelmed with dread or cold but alert and ready. The figure stepped into the light on purpose despite obviously being able to move around it and never showing the grim face. A gray silver eye watched her from behind a face the color of polished bone and highlighted with viridian. She felt like spitting out the tears she knew had left a trail of wetness on her face at the sight of the other plague. He was perhaps the last person she desired to see, having avoided him thus far without incident.

"Screw you." She said, slumping down onto the ground. No point in trying to hide what she had done, but never going to prove him right. She would wait him out, let him pass and then head back to those who did not see him every time they saw her. She hated being in the same body as him, another bringer of Black Death, let alone the same alleyway.

"Unlike me, you have found friends here. This body is unique, the home to dozens of deadly diseases like us. What are the odds of finding another unique body like this, one we can all gather together in?" He asked, moving slowly towards her. Tammy's tail snapped back and forth like a pissed off snake, her hands twitching between her bent knees.

"Like you care. Who do you think you are, my father?" She spat at him without a glance.

"I'm not. I'm just another virus looking for some time to think." He sat right beside her, on the ground. For a moment she forgot about her anger and irritation at his presence and was caught off guard by the act. With his elaborate suit and top hat it seemed so out of place for him to be sitting on the ground in a dark alley. But then, what did she know of his place. But then the anger and irritation returned in sharp spikes and she couldn't look at him any more.

"To dying ears, when unto dying eyes the casement slowly grows a glimmering square. So sad, so strange, the days that are no more." He sighed out, voice low and soft in a way that was once again not quite fitting the persona of horribly evil virus that she had imagined him to be.

"Days that are no more..." She repeated, looking up at the overhanging flesh that was their home. "Yeah, that sounds right..."


	3. Green

* * *

**Green**

_Players:_**  
Gelp, Lux**

* * *

Hungry green eyes watched the little virus from the rooftop. Gelp let his long tongue hang out, letting out a wheezing laugh at the smaller virus beneath him. Lux had no idea he was being watched. He was focused on his task, graffiti tagging the tissue walls that would inevitably lead to his calling card on the outside of the body. He was just finishing a fresh tag when a drop of thick yellow puss fell on the back of his hand. Lux froze, franticly looking everywhere for any sign of someone having seem his work. The last thing he needed was immunity coming by and busting him. When Lux looked up he caught a glimpse of bright green eyes and a long pink tongue disappearing past the building's edge. The little virus could have sworn he heard a hyena-like laugh in the air as he watched the roof and wiped the much from his hand. 


	4. Illusion

* * *

**Illusion**

_Players:_  
**Dr. Maligno, Nell**

* * *

"Well it's not bad, but I wouldn't go ticking off immunity for a while" Dr. Maligno said over his shoulder as he stripped of his gloves and put away his medical supplies. Nell smoothed out her dress and side tentacles, feeling the medical patch over her wound on her side under the body-clinging material.

"Hope it heals fast. I've got to get down to the intestine." She checked her hair in a hand mirror and touched up her lipstick. "Here's what I don't understand about you Doctor," Snap, the mirror clicked shut and was returned to her hand purse. "You're cancer, but you don't infect or destroy. Instead you patch up the cells others send here."

The doctor didn't bother turning around, his tail swinging a little more the only indication of his aggitation. "Well, some of us find our passion in things other than destruction and death. I can't help who I am, only what I do."

Nell laughed a bit, hand over her mouth. "I didn't realize you were living in an illusion doctor. A virus is a virus." She turned and headed out in her swaying steps. "Excuse me, I have some virus work to do. Some of us live up to our deadly potential."

This time the Maligno was the one chuckling over his charts. "Deadly Salmonella. Now who's living in the illusion?" He dropped her file into a cabinet labled with a large V and moved to buzz in his next patient."


	5. Smooth

* * *

**Smooth**

_Players:_  
**Ebola, Salin, Variola Vera**

* * *

An albino virus smiled with a mouth full of sharp teeth as he inched closer to the blue female beside him in the booth. Ebola, now regretting leaving her staff at home before leaving for the club, inched away and sipped the drink she had been nursing for the last half hour. Salin was not deterred by her lack of interest and continued to try and smooth his way into her good graces, as well as into somewhere else.

"Come on Bonita. I promise it won't hurt." His smile curved upward towards his lust-filled red eyes.

Ebola wouldn't admit it, but the attention was rather flattering given that Thrax was spending far too much time with other viruses rather than with her. She knew that her teeth clenched together every time that guy Sin was in sight, so maybe a little turnabout wouldn't hurt. Still, she was sure that she would never go against Thrax, especially with Salin.

Just as Salin was about to launch into another flowery and lewd proposal the lights dimmed down. Eyes of all shape and color looked about the club for what the disturbance was. Eyes wrinkled when a glaring white light hit a violet curtain now covering the back half of one of the dancing stages. A slow piano melody started, and from behind the curtain came one long pale leg, followed by wide hips in a sleek lacy pink thing. The tempo picked up a notch and thin arms waves the curtain aside a bit to reveal more pale skin and a flash of dazzling silver hair. Salin was a little slack jawed, still leaned towards Ebola but with his head turned like a bird at the stage.

The music erupted in drums and song and out from the curtain came a scantly clad virus. She sashayed down the stage through the hoots and hollers from the male audience members, her hands on her shoulders and her arms just barely covering her breasts. Four bright red eyes watched every angle of the crowd, and Salin almost drooled when he was sure one of them lingered on him.

The music backed down again as she slid down to her knees on the end of the stage, slowly moving her hands down her body till only her fingers covered her chest. Another crash of drums and she spread her arms wide and inviting, and for a moment the place was a sea of shouts and jeers. The music fell into a beat that got people bobbing their heads up and down, eyes glued on the dancer as she stretched out long limbs and traced the hourglass curves of her body. The music quieted down again, and with the lingering sound of the last note the dancer stretched her arms over her head and smiled sensually at the crowd. The spotlight went out to a thunder of whistling and clapping. Salin was smiling like a love-struck puppy, heats in his eyes. He didn't even notice when Ebola sighed and pouted, her fun lost in a single song.


	6. One Step

* * *

**One Step**

_Players:_  
**Claudine, Bernie, Vihto**

* * *

"So that's the deal. What do you say big boy?" Ask Claudine, finishing up her nail polishing and admiring her work rather than looking at the purple skinned virus she had been talking to. Bernie was nearby, rolling a shiny silver coin over and over through his fingers. Vihto was a little apprehensive about the two, and a little shocked to see that they had come to think themselves the master criminals. Guess they figured he would do the killing and they would get the goods.

"Why should I be doing this?" He asked with his arms crossed. Micra raised her head, watching the conversation intently in case things went bad.

Claudine smiled with pursed lips. "Well there would be a great many fine white blood cells. I suppose all Immunity would be on us if this goes well." She traced an invisible pattern in the couch she was lounging on. "Think of all those dashing white cells rushing to catch us..."

Vihto smirked, clenching and unclenching his gloved fist in anticipation. "One step at a time then. And I get half the cut." His smirk turned into a wicked grin. "Unless you think the two of you can take down Immunity by yourselves."

Claudine sighed and crossed her arms. "Fine, but you better be worth it."


	7. I Can't

* * *

**I Can't**

_Players:_  
**Ronnie, Hazz**

* * *

Ronnie was sweating bullets, all four of his arms shaking as he tried to hold the two guns he had been handed moments ago. White blood cells were shouting into megaphones for them to come out, and with no exit and completely outgunned Ronnie was a follicle from bolting. Hazz sensed the other virus weakening in resolve.

"Don't you dare Ronnie! You stay right there and shoot any cell that tried to get close to that door. You hear me?!" Hazz practically shouted. A small white blood cell tried into his hands in the corner. A few minutes ago he was having fun with Hazz, a cool older cell. Now he was stuck in a gunfight and he knew Hazz wasn't who he said he was.

"I-I can't do this! I can't!" Ronnie shouted back.

Hazz drew one if his many green syringes. He walked purposefully towards the small red cell, flicking against the needle and squirting a little bright neon green liquid from the tip to clear it out. "Don't worry Ronnie, we're getting out of this. Trust me..." He looked at the small cell, a little disappointed. But drastic times...


	8. Come On

* * *

**Come On**

_Players:_  
**Thrax, AD**

* * *

Thrax's finger twitched, heating up red-orange as his yellow eyes narrowed in frustration. 

"No way man. I'd just be perpetuating the stereotype if I followed you. I can't follow the Man and his plan." The rainbow colored virus rested back on her/his hands and stared up at the red virus.

"Come on, act your genus!" Thrax grabbed a handful of multi-colored dreadlocks and yanked the other virus to eye level. "Now you start helpin me take down this body or you become another pile of ash in the bloodstream."

"Ok man, no need to get hostile. Guess I'm down for sticking it to the man."

"That's what I want to hear." Thrax smiled wickedly at his newest recruit.


	9. Gray

* * *

**Gray**

_Players:_  
**Mr. Black  
(Mentioned but not named: Hazz, Animus, AD, Salin, Ebola, Lux, Lex, Leon, Sin, Ach, Geoff)**

* * *

**  
**

One gray eye, stabbing into the world around him, watched from behind the wicked mask that covered his face. It traveled from virus to virus, cell to cell, always watching. An albino made sly comments and inuendoes to the blue woman beside him, inching ever closer as he talked. A ponytail belonging to a light red virus snapped the air as its owner slipped between the door and its frame on his way out. A moment later a large green virus narrowed its vertical eyes and stalked after the fleeing scoundrel. A couple of males looking just enough like one another to be brothers sat lounging in half-stupor on one of the cushioned booths. A demonic red-spotted woman sat with a nervous twitch as the multi-colored woman/man crosslegged in front of her rolled green foliage into wax paper. A rail-thin half-clothed woman walked in with a much smaller hooded figure trailing in her shadow. A yellow haired virus looked up from his task of lighting his cigarette when he caught a glimpse of the smaller figure in the corner of one of his four eyes. Others mingled about, unaware that such horrendous diseases were resting right beside them. A squad of sicle cell, a cadre of cholestoral, low players in the game of biological warfare. That gray eye kept open and scanning, though it never strayed far from the faces and figures of the major powers in the room.

It had to give pause when a young bacteria with a thing for chains decided to sloutch his way towards Mr. Black. The thug sneered and revealed metal-colored teeth. "Yo Gramps. I heard about how you rolled in here from the dark ages. What's it like bein a fossil in the flesh again?" His little goon squad had joined him only after he had begun talking, clearly forced to back up their appointed general but in no hurry to draw attention to themselves.

"Before me there were no created things, only eterne, and I eternal last." He replied, skull-colored mask betraying nothing. He tipped his red hat up just an inch, to get a good look with one gray eye at the face that had decided to rise above him.

The thug seemed confused at first, then disgusted, then disturbed. "Yo man, how'd you loose the eye?"  
The remaining gray occular grew sharp as the blade that had been the downfall of its twin. "Here, let me show you how." 


	10. Rain

* * *

**Rain**

_Players_:  
**Sin, Thrax  
**

* * *

The shower was loud, masking the noise of the world with the constant sound of water on the hard bathroom flooring. Sin stepped in, letting the water strike him with a stiff cold hand and going rigid for only a moment before relaxing under the assault. There were stories about this event outside the body called 'rain'. The cells in the epidermus knew about it and people who spent too much time up in the eye have been known to talk about it. Sin knew about it just as most other cells did, but he had always invisioned something else when thinking about it. Rain was what put out the fires. It was a cold downpour that cooled down heat and fire and turned the world into soft monochrome tones. It seemed so impractical to a virus, who thrived on the chaos and adrenalin that came with the burning. But under the shower Sin thought it might not be such a bad idea to cool down once in a while, to let the world smolder in it's burnt ashes and heal for the next wave of heated destruction. The water ran over the scars across his body, outlining the ridges in a sheen of liquid. They were reminders of what happened when you got too close to the fire, when you let the heat and passion burn away common sense and reason. Though he may lust and desire it, it would always burn and hurt him. He would be back for more, there was no doubt about that, but the water cooled his heated mind enough for him to set aside such thoughts for a brief while. For a moment he could let his burnt body heal, ready it against the next wave of the inferno he was so tempted with.

He was lost and didn't hear or see anything, and it wasn't till a strong presence was against his back that he realized he was no longer alone under the water. There was a hiss of water turning into steam as a long red claw came around to rest just under Sin's chin. A hand ran down his wet side, and a strong leg opened his thighs. Sin sucked in a sharp gasp of the hot steam as a familiar fullness enveloped him. Water splattered his upturned face, and for a brief moment he forgot about the freezing power of rain. For a moment he imagined it against his skin now, chilling whatever part of him was not being held by the one now inside him. Sin braced his hands and lowered his head, water dripping from the tips of his hair to the floor, and he thought that rain wasn't so bad after all...


	11. Horror

* * *

**Horror**

_Players:_  
**Mr. Black, Scro**

* * *

Scro dragged the cell out kicking and screaming by the membrain. A crowd followed in his wake out of the doors of the night club, none daring to get close enough to attract the attention of the crazed disease. Mr. Black pushed through the crowd and appeared at the front. He watched with one cold gray eye as Scro dragged the innocent red cell out in front of the club and dropped him to the ground. When the cell tried to scramble away Scro grabbed him by the back of his neck and lifted him into the air. 

"We're not in the club now. Guess fighting is alright now, right Black?!" Scro shouted, that wicked smile splitting his face as he began to squeeze the cells neck in his hand. The cell tried to pry the fingers from the back of his neck but they were too strong. The cell slid its membrain from the bacteria's grip, but only got a step before Sco grabbed him again. He spun the cell around and thrust his hand forward, driving it into the cell's abdomen up to the wrist. There were gasps and faces contorted in horror as Scro lifted the cell impaled on his hand into the air.

"Gonna save this one Black? Gonna make me stop?"  
Mr. Black said nothing, did nothing but stare with that sharp gray eye at the torturing of this cell.

Scro's grin split open and pale teeth peaked out. The wound of the cell seemed to loose color, becoming bone white and brittle around the hand still embeded in him. The color leaked from him, the white chill spreading across his body. The cell coughed hard, expecting to see his insides coming out of his mouth with the way he was wracked with coughs and wheezes. But instead all that came out was fine white powder, like the ash of a hot fire. This time someone in the crowd did scream, and all watched in horror as the White Plague infected the innocent cell. When all the red had vanished from the cell's body, Scro roughtly pulled his hand out. The cell dropped to his feet and stooped in place like he didn't have the energy to raise his body up. Scro laughed and pushed the cell, turning and walking away as the cell fell towards the ground. The once healthy cell smashed into powder when it hit the ground, raining white ash down onto the street. Like any killing before, there were no more screams or attempts of revenge or even whispers among the crowd. Everyone just stared at what had been a friend and family member with white-hot horror in their eyes. Except Mr. Black, who had not wavered his gaze from the retreating figure of Scro.


	12. Day

* * *

**Day**

_Players:_  
**Salin, Animus  
**

* * *

Today was just another day. It was one more in a long line that stretched endlessly before him. Sometimes it seemed they would never end, that he would always play out the same activities one day after another till finally he would grow old and die. He knew there was more, that he had a purpose. He was to infect, to kill, to plague and pollute. He loved the idea of striking down cells and ripping open bodies for death's hand. He wanted to get to that life, but it meant he had to first escape his current days.

The mundane hours dragged on, one dull and inconsequential moment after another. He was confined to his home, unable to stand up to the immunities beyond its walls just yet. He was young, foolish, and weak, but a future would come when that would all change. Till then he had to worry about things other than immunity. Salin watched the world outside the window, wishing for the day when he could get out there. The women, the havoc, it all called to him. The sound of quick moving feet grew louder and louder, drawing nearer to the young virus. He turned, trying to run, trying to hide, knowing what came next. He got a foot up, thought he would make it for the first time in months. Then he was knocked flat, a heavy weight and bright and hard laughter above his head. Animus wrapper her blue arms around Salin's neck from behind, brushing her face into his hair like it was a towel. She laughed again, throwing her arms over her head, sharp teeth shining in her open smile.

"Got you again!" Animus laughed with all the joy of a child playing an eternal game of hide and seek that they always win.  
Salin buried his head in the floor. Just another day.


	13. No Time

* * *

**No Time**

_Players:_  
Panacea

* * *

When you're staring down the long line from the trigger to that distant target you don't have much time for thoughts of anything but how to make the shot that will saves lives. The best will tell you it starts becoming responsive, that when you raise your gun you just shut down your brain and squeeze. 'It makes dealing with the situation easier' they'll say. But Panacea knew better. She knew it never got easier, no matter how much you want to shoot, no matter how bad that virus, no matter how many innocent cells were in danger from letting this one go, you never want to shoot. But she knew that a hint of weakness, a single sign of remorse or mercy, and the force would be a memory for her. She already skated on this ice, her face reminding everyone of what they fought to kill. So she remained professional, worked hard to pick up a debt that she never created.

But then she caught one, running like hell was chasing it down to drag it back to the fire. Three dead, all in a line leading to the heart. On the main pulmonary artery, only moments before the disease got his death-bringing fingers into everything that kept them all alive. She had the shot, fingers steady and wrapped around the trigger. He was running, the tunnel to the heart opening wide before him. She had no time to think, no time to call out and stop him any other way. Her hand shook for a moment, and she shut off her brain and squeezed. Later she would reassure herself, sitting alone in her flat and barren apartment. Her gun on the table and her hands between her knees she would tell herself that there was no time. The virus would be dead, she would be a hero, and Thomas would be safe one more day. And all she had to do was convincer herself that there was no time for anthing else but to shoot him. All Panacea had to do was convincer herself.

But all she could see was the face of a man that had branded her for life. And all that could come with each repetition of her mantra was the question that had been shadowing her thoughts since she joined Immunity. What if it had been him? Would there be time for him?


	14. Crazy

* * *

**Crazy**

_Players:_  
**Sahbar, Mara**

* * *

The shock of lighting coursing in that hand-sized gape between neurons rolled down his tongue and into his throat like ephorvescent sex. Liquid sin coursed through his body, and his arms went stiff and shook with a sugar-high jitter that split open his mouth and revealed an upsidedown black crescent of a beartrap. He opened wide, arms and eyes and mouth, as a rush of blood readied the next wave of bliss. 

"Hey! You crazy?"

Sahbar jumped with all the power and velocity of a cat stepping on a land mine. He fell into a heap of black green strings and limbs in front of a petite and squishy little girl. She looked oddly at him with a round and vacant face. Sometime sparked close to his face, and he instantly clamped his slack jaw around the tip of a red serpent. The woman shrieked with the high pitch of 'seeing a mouse' scared and thrashed one arm, waving Sahbar's lanky form around on the end of a red cable like some kind of fish ripped from the water. When she gasped for air and more time to scream she looked down to see a pancake Sahbar looking up at her with green eyes shining out under white/green hair. He smiled, the red cord jammed between his front teeth.

She went blank faced and tugged once one the chord, which made Sahbar tilt his head out with the tug before retracting back. The spark on the other end died out and Sahbar looked down with puckered lips at the red chord in his mouth. He slowly stood, reached up, and pulled it from his mouth like a sucker that had lost its flavor. He chewed the end as if it were a pen cap and then dropped it, now certain.

There was a moment of blank silence, then Mara raised her other arm stiffly. A blue wire danced in a snakes image in her grasp, sparks popping the air above its missing head. Sahbar brightened up and clamped down hard on it, grinning with closed eyes at his new friend.


End file.
